IGC

Intergranular corrosion occurs as a result of precipitation

of nitrides, carbides, and other intermetallic phases, such
as sigma phase, that occurs along the grain boundaries. If
materials with incorrect heat treatment enter service,
they are liable to crack or fail by intergranular corrosion
much more rapidly than properly treated materials; ASTM
A262 is a screening test to help find batches that are
incorrectly processed.

Intergranular corrosion shows up as the dark black lines

around the grain boundaries.
ASTM A262 Practice E The Strauss Test Copper
Copper Sulfate 16% Sulfuric Acid

Practice E, the Strauss test, is performed to assess attack

associated with chromium-rich carbide formation; it does
not detect susceptibility to sigma phase formation. The
Strauss test is commonly used to evaluate the heattreatment of as-received material, the effectiveness of
alloying additions of elements such as Nb and Ti, or the
effectiveness of reducing carbon content to resist
intergranular attack. The oxalic acid test is commonly

used before the Strauss test to determine if a sample is

susceptible; samples that pass method A will generally
show low corrosion rates in the Strauss test.
The samples are boiled in a Cu-Copper Sulfate mixture for
15 hours and then bent 180 over an equal diameter
bend. The test uses a visual inspection of the surface of
the bent specimen to determine pass or fail. Duplicate
samples from both sides of a sheet sample are evaluated
to determine if carburization results in intergranular
attack. The bent samples are examined at low
magnification, where the appearance of cracks or fissures
indicate intergranular attack.

Or

Copper - Copper Sulfate - 16% sulfuric acid, ASTM A262 - Practice E

(Strauss Test)

This procedure is conducted to determine the susceptibility of

austenitic stainless steel to inter granular attack associated with
the precipitation of chromium-rich carbides.
Once the specimen has been subjected to the solution boil, it is
bent through 180 and over a diameter equal to the thickness of
the specimen being bent. This test is based on a visual
examination of the bent specimen.